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Does Drinking Coffee Lead You To Greater Risk of Heart Disease? By drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages throughout the day, you may be increasing the risk factors that cause heart disease. Here are the top 7 reasons that kicking the coffee habit can help you to decrease these risks for your heart’s sake!1. Coffee Drinking Increases Heart Attack Risk
Recent research shows that over half the population studied has a genetic variation that slows the
metabolism of caffeine and increases the risk of heart attack. If people with these genes drink 2
cups of coffee a day, their risk of heart attack is increased by 32%. If they drink 4 or more cups a
day, their heart attack risks increases to 64%. For people under the age of 59, the risk of heart
attack associated with coffee drinking is even higher. One cup a day increases their risk of heart
attack by 24%, two - three cups a day increases it 67% and the risk for four or more cups of coffee
is increased by 133%! People who drank less than 1 cup of coffee a day did not show increased
2. Caffeine Raises Blood Pressure
Drinking caffeinated beverages has been shown to significantly increase blood pressure. High
blood pressure is a silent disease which can create devastating complications, including hardening
of the arteries, kidney problems, poor eyesight, aneurysms (bulges in blood vessels), and heart
attacks. By limiting your caffeine intake, you can make great progress towards lowering your blood
3. Coffee and Decaf Increase Cholesterol Levels
Both regular and decaffeinated coffees are linked to higher levels of cholesterol. Decaf coffee has
been shown to raise the LDL cholesterol or so called “bad” cholesterol 8-10% in 3 months.
Drinking unfiltered coffee like espresso beverages and coffee brewed in the French press has
been shown to raise cholesterol compared to drinking drip coffee. If you have high cholesterol,
reducing coffee drinking should be part of the dietary changes you make to help lower your
4. Coffee Raises Homocysteine Levels
Homocysteine is an amino acid associated with increased risk of heart attack. Studies show that
drinking both regular and decaffeinated coffee significantly increases homocysteine in the
bloodstream, even more so than caffeine alone. This increase in homocysteine is noted within
hours of coffee consumption. Quitting coffee can be an important step in reducing elevated
5. Coffee Drinking Increases Inflammation
Inflammation of the artery walls is an important risk factor for heart attacks that doctors now think
may be even more significant than cholesterol levels. Studies suggest that coffee drinkers have a
higher rate of inflammation and this effect has been shown with drinking just 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of
coffee per day! Inflammation may lead to other chronic diseases too. You can start decreasing
inflammation today by limiting your coffee intake.
6. Caffeine Increases Blood Vessel Stiffness
Arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a contributing factor to heart disease and high
blood pressure. Studies show that drinking caffeinated beverages is linked to greater stiffness of
the artery walls. Limit your caffeine intake and you’ll limit your risk of arteriosclerosis.
7. Coffee Elevates Stress Hormones
Stress is one of the leading risk factors for heart attacks. Caffeine, specifically in coffee, has been
shown to elevate stress hormones including cortisol. These hormones are responsible for
increased heart rate and blood pressure, and a sense of “emergency alert”. Caffeine consumption
can put you in a continual state of increased stress that can chronically increase blood pressure
and affect normal heart rate and rhythm. Your immune system is also weakened when stress
hormones are high. It’s hard enough to get a handle on our daily stress without unnecessarily
contributing to it. Decreasing caffeine and coffee intake can go a long way towards managing your

Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from total destruction. The story of Purim is told in the Book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who was like a father to her. Esther was taken to the house